The electronic workplace of today is filled with many conveniences to allow employees to collaborate with each other. Some workplace environments allow employees ready access to each other through real time communications such as instant messaging. Under many circumstances instant messaging increases employee efficiency. However, in large organizations where employees have broad access to other employees, an employee can experience numerous interruptions through instant messaging. Similarly, highly valued employees can receive numerous interruptions in the form of instant messages (IMs) requesting information. Such interruptions are more difficult to limit than telephone communications and face-to-face interactions. Moreover, a high volume of IMs can hinder the employee's ability to perform their required workplace tasks.
Another problem associated with instant messaging is the risk of sending an IM to an unintended recipient. Serious consequences can occur, depending on the content of the IM and the identity of the unintended recipient. For example, if two business managers are discussing matters affecting an employee, one of the managers may become confused and inadvertently send an IM to the employee instead of the other manager. If the sending manager discovers the error, that manager can ask the employee to ignore or discard the IM. However, the employee has the ability to save the IM and may choose to share the content of the IM with others. Difficulties with the existence of the IM are compounded in a network having a logging capability.
What is needed is a method to enable the sender of an IM to retract the IM from the receiver. The present invention satisfies this need and provides additional advantages.